ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: An in-training examination is given annually to the all laboratory medicine residents of in Korea. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of the in-training examinations according to the examinees' postgraduate years, a number of teaching faculty members and hospital beds, and the score of the board examination. METHODS: A total number of examinees during the 5-year period from 2001 to 2005 were 311. All residents took the same in-training examinations given each year irrespective of the postgraduate year (PGY). RESULTS: The scores of in-training examinations increased with advance in the examinees' PGY (P0.05). The correlation coefficients of each PGY scores were from 0.474 to 0.755 (P<0.01). The scores of the 4th PGY were correlated with those of the board examinations (r=0.627, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the scores of the in-training examinations may be a valid measure of knowledge acquired by residents during their training years and provide a useful information for improving the laboratory medicine residency training program.